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The Epidemic Need for Stress Management for Children: A stress-Status Check

~ One-third of children in the U.S. have levels of stress ranging from moderate to extreme.
~ Children may start having stress by age four (e.g., monsters under the bed) which is normal and treatable.
~ Children have never been under more stress and this stress is predicted to mount. The reasons cited for this increased stress is the pressure youngsters are under to deal with academic demands and other tasks for which they are not developmentally ready.
~ Almost no one is dealing with teaching children how to deal with stress, outside of a few school programs.
~ Migraine Monday's are becoming a reality for many teenagers because of the stress they now experience.

The flip side of the stress coin is that there are at least five keys to teaching children to manage stress.

enjoying better physical health.

increased resistance to negative peer pressure.

less fighting

preventing and controlling emotional problems

opening lines of communication: Highly anxious children may be afraid to displease their parents, and may even tend to hide problems. Unrelieved stress from a child's problems will eventually erupt.

CURES:

~ATTITUDE:
Promote a positive, flexible, non-competitive spirit.
Encourage one-thing-at-a-time thinking.
Get guidance when needed.

~BEHAVIOR:
A key principle in stress management is that anxiety and deep muscle relaxation cannot co-exist. By deeply relaxing muscles, anxiety states can be reduced.

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